WHAT’S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE
Ephesians 1:1-9
In his early 20’s John Newton made his way to Africa where he became involved in a lucrative enterprise called salve trade.
As a young man he ridiculed mocked and poked fun at the religious. In fact he was joking and mocking Christ just hours before his ship sailed into an angry storm.
That night the waves, wind, & rain battered the ship. For hour he and the other sailors struggled to keep the ship from sinking. He knew it was a lost cause. Finally w/ all hope gone he threw himself on the soaked deck and pleaded “Lord have mercy on us all”.
John Newton did not deserve mercy, but he received it that night. He and the crew survived the storm. John Newton never forgot the mercy God granted him that day on the Atlantic. He returns to England and became a prolific composer of hymns and preacher of God’s word. The slave trader turned preacher who could not help but tell the story of how God will meet you in your storm.
Several years before his death people urged him to give up preaching due to his health and failing memory. His response “my memory is almost gone, but two things I still remember I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great savior. What more do I need to remember?
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John Newton had experienced the grace of God in his life. He knew it was amazing. As a matter of fact one of his hymns speaks of this grace, perhaps you’ve heard of it.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Amazing grace! What does that mean? How does it work? What’s so amazing about grace?
The word amazing means… Excellent, Incredible, Tremendous, Wonderful.
• It’s what Grace is all about.
• You might say…“well that’s fine and dandy, but what does that heave to do with me?
• How does Grace affect my life ?
This morning from God’s word we are going to consider these questions. It is my prayer that God will help us truly understand what’s so amazing about Grace.
And in the process may our faith, hope, and love in Him and for Him might be strengthen.
***** READ Ephesians 1:1-9 *****
… PAUL …
I. The source of Grace: verses 1 & 2
• Verse 2 identifies the source of Grace – God our father & the Lord Jesus
• The result of Grace is Peace – Grace always Precedes Peace.
Grace is the expression of God’s love, while peace is the result of His love!
THE SOURCE OF GRACE IS GOD! BUT JUST WHAT IS GRACE ?
“Grace”- The blessing, goodness, love, & kindness of God, poured out into our lives… because that is what God wanted to do !
There is no Merit or Worth on our part…we had nothing to do with it…it is an act of God.
Deserve / Earn
Again, note the…
• Source of this Grace- God, and how did He revealed it… In and through His son Jesus.
• Cost of Grace- It’s FREE. Ephesians 2:8-9,
• Purpose of Grace- Ephesians 2:4-7
4. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5. even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved
6 and raised us up with Him, and (seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
THE PURPOSE OF GRACE IS THIS…IN CHRIST WE HAVE BEEN…
Made alive IN HIM. Raised us up w/HIM. & Seated beside Him in the heavenly realms.
ILLUSTRATION:
Two dairy cows were grazing alongside a highway when a tank-truck of milk on its way to the distributor happened to pass. On one side of the truck in big red letters was a sign that read…..
"Pasteurized, homogenized, standardized, Vitamin A added."
One cow turned to the other and said…."Makes you feel sort of inadequate, doesn’t it?"
MY FRIEND HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND FELT INADEQUATE ? WORDS LIKE BLAMELESS, HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, PURE, & SAINT SEEM A LITTLE INTIMIDATING AND UNREACHABLE.
WELL, IN & OF OUR SELVES THEY ARE BUT IN CHRIST WE ARE ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND MUCH MORE BECAUSE HE IN ADEQUATE & we are In-Christ!!
What’s so amazing about Grace...It’s source - God / Cost- free / Purpose- To live in Him.
II. The Object of Grace: verses 3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed US with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
We are the Objects of God’s Grace !…….Notice what God has done for us:
• Blessed- The goodness & favor of God on us!
• Chosen- God singled you out to be His very own
• Predestined / Election - are words that are rooted together. Meaning choice / selection. Speaking of God’s Sovereignty.
• Lavished- (to give in abundance; shower with; a downpour) His Grace on us. Because he wanted to!
• Adopted- God grafted us into His family as His own!
QUOTE:
There is nothing we can do that will make God love us more, There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
QUOTE: Max Lacado
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been
money, God would have sent us an economist.
But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.
WE ARE THE OBJESTS OF GOD’S GRACE, WHICH WAS REVEALED TO US IN HIS SON THE LORD JESUS. IT’S THAT GRACE THAT HE HAS LAVISHED ON US!
BUT HOW IS GOD’S GRACE EXPRESSED IN OUR LIVES: “ACROSTIC”
• G.oodness- in our lives!
Psalm 23 –“surely goodness & mercy will follow me!” “follow”- means “to chase or pursue.”
Psalm 31:19 God has stored up goodness for those He loves.
“Stop chasing that which is pursuing YOU!
• R. edemption- meaning…“to purchase, to buy back.”
1 Peter 1:18-19
18. knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things…
19. but with precious blood… of Christ.
• A.doption- “we become His child”
Romans 8:15 & 16
15 … you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
16 … we are children of God,
• C.omfort- “To soothe in distress; to bring consolation or hope.”
2 Corinthians 1:3 & 4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
• E.ternity- 1 John 5:13 “Infinite or unlimited time, time w/o beginning or end.”
ILLUSTRATION:
Lost and Found ad - Lost dog, brown fur, some missing due to mange,
blind in one eye, three legs, slightly arthritic, goes by name of Lucky.
MY FRIEND I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WHEN I THINK OF GOD’S GRACE WHICH HAS BEEN LAVISHED ON ME I FEEL “LUCKY”
III. The Benefits of Grace: verse 7-9
Paul lists several benefits of Grace here in our text.
• Redemption- made right
• Forgiveness- restored
• Wisdom- the ability to apply truth correctly
• Insight or Discernment- to see & know the things of God
• God’s will revealed.- direction & guidance for life
“BUT CONTRAST THAT WITH LAW & LEGALISM”
“Law”- All Divine commandments collectively. Law demanded perfection!
Law insisted on obedience. There was no room for Error. Laws purpose was to point men to God
“Legalism”- A strict, literal, or excessive conformity to rules & regulations derived from the law by men.
The Benefits of Grace: We are…
• Under grace not law. Romans 6:14
• Accepted by God. Ephesians 1:6
• Righteous before God. Romans 5:21
• Hope. 2 Thessalonians 2:16
• Witness. Acts 4:33
• Ministry. Romans 12:13
• Faith & Love. 1 Timothy 1:14
• Strength. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
What’s so amazing about grace? * It’s God’s gift to YOU! * It’s FREE! * It’s ETERNAL!
Closing:
There is nothing like a father’s blessing and love. One day I was at work when out of nowhere my father pulled up to the job in a brand new candy apple red truck. It was the bomb. He got out and said nothing, of course I’m thinking to myself he bought a new truck, why the truck he had was new what in the world is going on. As he started to leave he got into the old truck which I drove, I ask him what he was doing and he smiled and said “well you can’t drive’em both, enjoy your new truck.
That day my father blessed me. He reminded me that he loved me and that I was special to him. He expressed to me through his actions his goodness, kindness, and love. I did not earn nor deserve that gift. But he freely gave because of his love for me.
